Stuff

Sunday 10 July 2011 at 11:16 am
Peanut already struggles to get around because
she has 3 paws. I knew that leaning heavily on her left side would eventually
cause problems, but I always hoped it wouldn't be sore hocks.

I tried to do
everything right when I designed the Bunroom. I placed carpet remnants around
the room for resting mats and bought a sea grass mat for chewing/resting. The
vinyl floor was not the BEST choice, but it cleans well and was within my
budget. Besides, I clean the room throughout the day, so I was trying to prevent
any problems. But Peanut always leans on her stump of a paw on her left side.
Sometimes she steps in her own urine. I began to notice that her hocks were red
and the fur was wearing away. If I didn't get her to the vet and apply
bandages, the hocks could become infected.

Thank goodness
for Dr. Dana Krempels and her research on sore hocks. When I took Peanut to the
vet, I admitted that she is difficult to restrain and that I could not
accomplish the task of applying bandages on my own. I also had to admit that I
had no clue how to apply a bandage that would stay on. I had heard that Dr.
Dana Krempels was an expert on this condition, so I had written her name down
on a sheet of paper before I left for the vet's office. When my vet, Dr. Irvin,
saw the hocks she confirmed that there was NOT an infection. She also knew we
couldn't ignore the problem. After all, Peanut is a mini-rex and these buns are
known for thinning fur on their hocks. So, the vet volunteered to contact Dr.
Krempels on the phone.

The result has
been great (so far). It has now been 2 days and the bandages are still in
place. Peanut doesn't like the bandages and I watch her carefully to make sure
she isn't chewing them, but with her imbalance, she cannot reach them. I think
the key to our success has been the shape and design of the bandage Dr.
Krempels designed (see link below), as well as using Peanut's own fur (which I
collected over time) as padding. I will continue to post updates, and hopefully
Peanut will not need to wear the bandages for too long!